European and German high courts rule same-sex couples are regular parents

Today two high courts in Europe ruled in favour of same-sex couples adopting children. Both judgments make clear that lesbian and gay couples provide children the same safety and stability as heterosexual couples do.

Council of Europe – GermanyIn the first decision, the Strasbourg-based European Court of Human Rights considered the case X and others v. Austria. The court deemed that

the Austrian Government had not provided any evidence to show that it would be detrimental to a child to be brought up by a same-sex couple or to have two mothers and two fathers for legal purposes.

The court’s highest chamber ruled that since unmarried different-sex couples could adopt one another’s children under Austrian law, there was no valid reason to prohibit same-sex couples from adopting one another’s children.

In today’s second decision, Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court came to the same conclusion, decreeing that successive adoption ought to be open to same-sex couples under the same conditions as different-sex couples (although joint adoption remains unavailable).

Ulrike Lunacek MEP, Co-President of the LGBT Intergroup, commented: “These timely rulings confirm what we have known for decades: LGBT people already live in families and have children, and are equally good families in comparison with heterosexual couples. Our children are loved, and grow up in stable families.”

Ricky Nathanson “Rikki” is the Executive Director of Trans Research, Education & Training (TREAT) Zimbabwe, the first trans led, and gender diverse focused organization in Zimbabwe. As a TEACH Technical Advisor, Rikki is working with MSMGF and IRGT to deliver high-quality trainings to trans-led ...

MSMGF recently released a report in conjunction with partners at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Hornet Gay Social Network, The Foundation for AIDS Research, Enda-Santé, and the Rollins School of Public Health to use data from social media to better estimate populations of gay and bisexual m...

English | Français | русский | Español | 中文 Dear Members, The Global Forum on MSM & HIV (MSMGF), the Global Network of Sex Work Projects (NSWP), and the International Network of People who Use Drugs (INPUD) are consulting our communities about the impact of stigma and discrimination on ...

New campaign highlights LGBT Rights as human rights and calls for the end of the criminalization of LGBT people worldwide NEWS PROVIDED BY Hornet Hornet, the world’s premier gay social network, today announced the launch of the #DecriminalizeLGBT campaign, in an effort to raise awareness of global...

Out With It • July 22, 2018 • Amsterdam, Netherlands MSMGF is seeking proposals for new solutions to current issues facing young gay and bisexual men around the world. Up to eight winning innovators or innovation teams will be selected to present and develop their solutions at Out With It, MSMGF...